Blossoming Darkness
by pablito14
Summary: Everyone's got those feeling deep inside them of hate and anger. no matter how small they may be. But a curse mark that feed's off of those feelings and gets stronger because of them? Ino's got two options repress the mark or control it...
1. Chapter 1

**Ok all here's chapter 1 of my new series I call Blossoming Darkness, staring my favorite Kunoichi in the Naruto series Ino, hope you all like it!**

A simple mission:

She hated moments like these. Ino watched as Choji Scarfed down all the meat he could possibly stuff in his mouth and then some, chewing loudly and swallowing before putting down more on the grill. Shikamaru who was sitting next him cheered him on with an amused look on his face.  
"Going for the record Choji," he joked, patting his friend on the back.

Ino sighed and quickly slammed both of her hands on the table much to Choji's shock. He began to choke on his food. He held both of his hands up to his throat in order to try and get the extra meat out and stop the choking, in the process he knocked over several condiments and sauces, all over his red jumpsuit which caused them to stain it.

"What's with you," Shikamaru asked, ignoring Choji and casting an annoyed look at Ino. She flipped her bright blonde bang away so she could look at Shikamaru with both of her piercing blue eyes.

"What are we doing?" she asked. Her voice had as much annoyance as Shikamaru's, the difference was that her's was louder.

"Well we WERE eating," Shikamaru stated, "now Choji's choking and you're screaming, and I honestly have no clue why," he put his arms behind his head leaned back and closed his eyes. "Back to my question: What's with you?"

"You guys are so lame, just take a look at yourselves," Ino pointed at them accusingly, Shikamaru opened one eye curiously, while Choji simply continued gagging, "isn't there anything better we could be doing in our free time instead of stuffing ourselves to the brim on this fattening food?"

"Well I didn't know you had any better ideas," Shikamaru responded dryly.

"We could be training," Ino shouted as Choji's face began turning a bright red color. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "I mean just because we're _The Legenary Ino-Shika-Cho,_" she put sarcastic emphasis on her team's nickname, "doesn't mean we're shouldn't train," Shikamaru closed his eyes once more losing interest.

"Honing our skills?" Ino attempted to get Shikamaru's attention once more.  
"Perfecting techniques?" No response,  
"Getting stronger?"  
Seeing as she wasn't getting Shikamaru back on topic, Ino simply sighed, hanging her head in defeat.

Shikamaru sighed as well, not wanting to see his team in such turmoil; he looked back to her, lightly brushing her bangs to the side once more in order to get her attention, she looked up at him, still slightly angry, but ready to hear what he was going to say.

"Ino you have to understand something, a ninja doesn't get anywhere by working themselves to the bone every chance they get. Don't listen to that crap Guy sensei likes to spew," Ino opened her mouth to argue but he held up a finger in a way that said 'I'm not finished'. She clenched her teeth in annoyance but allowed him to continue, "Sometimes a ninja simply has to quit being troublesome, kick back, relax," he brought his arm back and forcefully gave Choji a pat on the back, causing the stuck meat to going fly out of his mouth and land perfectly on the grill, "and let their hair down," Shikamaru finished.

At these words he reached for his pony tail, which was tied tightly atop his head and pulled at the band, letting his hair fall loosely over his eyes and giving a relaxed grin.  
Ino initially stared at him with a blank expression and for just a moment Shikamaru made the assumption that his words had gotten to her, unfortunately for him this was a short lived victory. Ino blinked and shook her head as though waking up from a trance, and then regained her accusing look.

"I've heard some lame excuses from you Shikamaru, but that one takes the cake," she crossed her arms as though she was his big sister scolding him for his behavior.  
Shikamaru frowned and sighed, disappointed that his wise words had fallen upon deaf ears. With someone as stubborn as Ino he knew there'd be no chance at changing her mind, so instead he tried an alternative solution: changing the subject. He picked up a pair of chopstick and took a piece of meat from the grill (being careful not to take the one Choji spit out).

"You need to relax, eat something," he said as soothingly as he could before he tossed the piece of grilled meat Ino's way, with surprisingly good accuracy as well, considering his eyes were hidden underneath hid mop of hair.

Ino reacted and grabbed the nearest pair of chopsticks, grabbing the piece in mid-air and looking at it with disgust.

"Ew?"

"What do you mean ew?"

"This stuff is nasty Shikamaru, do you know what would happen if I were to just swallow this," Ino asked. Then lowering her voice before she continued, "I'd end up like Choji," she motioned to her friend who was sitting their unconscious due to his near death experience earlier.

Shikamaru sighed, "Ino."

"What?"

"You're amazing, I love you, you're like a sister to me, but I swear to God I've seen corpses with more meat on them then you."

Ino recoiled at these words as though someone had driven a kunai through her stomach

"SHIKAMARU, I cannot believe you would say such a thing, I've never felt so betrayed," she said dramatically turning her back to him, "I'll be waiting for your apology when you're ready."  
As she gave her teammates her back she tossed the BBQ meat in her mouth quickly chewed, and swallowed it almost whole, her insides getting a heavenly feeling.  
'My god,' she thought, 'this diet's gonna kill me, how can I be tempted by such greasy… amazing… wonderfull… ugh' she frowned at the thought of not being able to take another bite of that heavenly beef, sighing loudly to herself.

"Ino?" Shikamaru called.

"Hm what?" She had gotten so caught up in her own thoughts that her friends voice was too distant to recognize.

"I said I was sorry," Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I didn't realize you'd take it so personally."

Perhaps the food had lightened her mood, because Ino grinned and waved her hand dismissively, "Forget about it."

Now Shikamaru was shocked, did he? No… did Ino just drop an argument about her weight? Was she going to get him back in some nightmare inducing way? Or was he safe enough to attempt to defuse another subject? He decided not to test his luck and considered the topic change successful.

"But seriously, you too should get off of your lazy asses and come train."

Once again Shikamaru took a failed shot.

"I mean considering I'M Team 10's leader I should get to decide what we're up to," Ino stated quite matter-of-factly.

Shikamaru pushed his bangs out of his hair and looked at Ino in the eyes,

"What do you mean LEADER," he snapped angrily, but was quick to regain his composure. Damn Ino she knew how to push his buttons. If there was one thing he hated, it was when she tried to act like the boss of him and Choji.

"Well," Ino said with a bitchy satisfied smirk on her face, "before Asuma passed, he specifically told me to take care of the two of you, which should be a pretty clear indicator of who he wanted in charge," she concluded.

All Shikamaru could do was scratch his head, she'd gotten him, played her trump card and backed him into a corner. But his face brightened as he realized he had a trump card of his own. Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out and engraved silver lighter and held it up at Ino, "See this?"

"Sensie's lighter," Ino asked curiously.

"Yes exactly. Asuma sensei passed this down, along with his will, to me. Basically saying if anyone here is team 10's leader, that privilege would be mine."  
His words were ice cold, there was no way Ino could counter such an argument. Why did he have to be so stubborn?

Ino crossed her arms in despair, but didn't argue instead she reach for a bowl of carrots, and began to eat. Glaring at Shikamaru comically.

"Come on Ino don't sweat it," he tried to calm her down, "We've got no missions going on, it's been a lazy day, we could train another time."

"You guys! At the right of everyone else's training we're going to end up getting overlooked as a team, I mean, we'll probably end up being upstaged by team 8." Ino shuddered at the thought of being left in the dust by that hot blooded animal kid, that creepy bug guy, and that kind (but rather weak) shy girl.

"Come on who's gonna overlook us, the Legendary _Ino-Shika-Cho _combo!"

Ino actually giggled at Shikaramu's false energy when he said their team nickname, "I guess you're right, maybe we can afford to kick back, we're pretty tough, and besides it's not like anyone need us at the mome-"

She never finished her statement because the door of the restaurant was flung open, a women with a loud energetic voice spoke out.

"Alright everybody, if there are any capable ninja here in this restaurant, would anyone care to volunteer to come on a very dangerous mission," this was the voice of Anko Mitarashi, the famous snake Jonin of Konoha… well the second most famous snake Jonin.

Shikamaru turned to stop her, but it was too late as she saw that Ino'w seat in the booth was empty.

"We'd like to go Anko sensei!" Ino said ecstatically….


	2. Chapter 2

"We'd like to go Anko Sensei!"

Ino was knelt down in front of her, arms clasped together like she was begging, but her eyes shone brightly as she looked up at the snake Jonin in hopes of her approval.  
Anko looked down at the young blonde girl with an unconcerned look on her face. She looked back up at those in the restaurant,

"Anyone else," she asked as though she hadn't heard a thing from Ino.

Ino blinked, taking in Anko's words. She curled up her fingers into a fist and began to turn a dark shade of red. Shikamaru and Choji who watched from afar knew this look all too well: Ino was pissed, and when Ino is pissed anyone under the rank of Hokage was going to feel her anger.

"HEY DOWN HERE, DIDN'T YOU HERE ME OFFER SOME HELP," She yelled up to Anko loud enough to stop all conversations in the restaurant as well as attracting some attention from the outside, a few citizens had stopped walking when they heard the commotion to peer in and see what happened.

Everyone besides Anko had a shocked expression; the Snake Jonin however maintained her dismissive look.

"Oh I heard you kid, loud and clear, but that doesn't mean I'm compelled to accept your help," Anko replied checking her nails.

"What's wrong with me and my team?!" Ino demanded pointing over at her two friends who did their best to duck and hide in order to avoid the grown women's glance.

"Nothing wrong with you guys… I'm just hoping for someone better," Anko responded with a bored tone.

"Better!? We're-"

"Blah blah '_Oh we're the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho' _you probably have it written on your bedroom wall_,_" Anko gave a bitchy grin, she knew she was pissing off the chunin girl and she was enjoying it

"Hey you said it yourself," Ino retorted, "LEGENDARY, plenty of reason to want to pick us, what do you think you know about us anyway!"

"Well I remember you, three years ago during the chunin exams, you and that pink haired chick were going at it no holds barred."

Ino grinned a little as she remembered that battle with her best friend, it really was one hell of a match.

"Then you two idiots managed to knock each other out," Anko laughed, "no one who was there could forget that!"

Ino blushed remembering the rest of the fight, the two had landed blows on each other at the exact same time resulting in a double knockout and both of them being disqualified.

"Hey what right do you have to be mention that! There was more to it you know!?"

"Oh yeah there was, afterwords she became big lady Hokage's apprentice and you dropped off the radar"

"Why you! I was… I just…" Ino was at a lack of words.

"Relax kid I'm messing with ya," Anko cut her off patting her head.

Ino stopped mid-sentence dumbfounded, "What?"

"You heard me I'm just trying to get some energy out of you," Anko was smiling now, the kind of smile you pull of when a prank goes well. Ino just stared.

"I heard that you could get worked up easily but this is a whole new level to what they told me," Anko laughed, offered her hand to the kneeling girl, "since you're all pumped up now, what's say we go help our village out."

Ino took her hand still a little confused by what just went happened, but Anko simply give her a little push to the door.

"Hey you boys coming?" She called out.

"Sorry Ino but Choji looks like he could use a hospital after his experience."  
Choji nodded his hands still clutching his throat, but he looked longingly at the meat.

"It's alright kids," Anko waved them off, "We'll hold out on our own, right kid?"

"Yeah," Ino replied.

"Hell yeah, GIRL POWER AM I RIGHT," Anko stuck her fist out at enthusiastically at Ino, who just stared at it in confusing, then simply nodded her head 'yes'

Anko sighed, placed a hand on her shoulder and led her to Konoha's main gate, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "By the way, I was rooting for you that time."

_In the Hidden Leaf forest_

"Hey Anko Sensei you never told me what this mission was about," Ino asked as the two Kunoichi jumped branch to branch.

"Oh did I skip out on that?" Anko asked.

"All you said was that it was a dangerous mission. What type of dangers are we talking about?"

"Well we're supposed to be hunting down a rouge ninja who's believed to have hidden out somewhere here in the Hidden Leaf forest,"Anko briefed her.

"Oh? Isn't that reserved for people like ANBU? Like those hunter-nin from the Hidden Mist." Ino asked confused.

"Typically yeah, but this isn't your average missing-nin, they guy we're looking for is an associate of Orochimaru."

Ino gasped at the name, "Orochi- So this guy must be dangerous right?" she was fueled with paranoia.

"I'd say so. Heard he's even got one of these" Anko stopped and motioned Ino over, and pulled down her coat so she could get a look at the tree tomoe on her shoulder.

"Th-th-the Cursed Seal of Heaven," Ino stammered.

"You can breathe if you want to kid, it's not the Cursed Seal of Heaven, it's a different cursed seal, one that's undoubtable far less powerful than my own," Anko assured her in an attempt to calm her down.

"You mean there's different types of seals?" Ino asked.

"Of course, don't tell me you thought this was the only Seal Orochimaru knew how to do, he's got dozens, each one with a different purpose."

"But still if this guy's got a seal wouldn't the mission be considered too dangerous to ask a Chunin to come along? I mean are you sure I'm even allowed to come with you?" Ino was being to worry.

"Wouldn't really know," Anko shrugged, "I didn't ask."

"WHAT!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T ASK!?"

"Well I mean in a sense I did," Anko said with a sheepish expression

"WHO? WHO DID YOU ASK FOR ME TO COME HERE?" Ino demanded grabbing her sensei from lapels of her jacket.

"Well I asked you," Anko said looking confused, "and you said yes, so I figured that was all the permission I really needed."

"Anko sensei how could you do something as irresponsible as letting the first person asking you to join your mission, JOIN YOU'RE MISSION."

'_Damn this kid's scarier than me,'_ Anko thought, fearfully looking at the Chunin, "Hey wait kid relax, I can total explain it to you I swear."

"Well go see if you can justify you're very poorly thought out actions."

"Well I couldn't help it, I get lonely sometimes," Anko frowned.

Ino stopped, she opened her mouth to argue but soon realized there was nothing she could possibly say. She shut her mouth and continued.

"Kid?" Anko called from behind her, "Kid stop moving so fast." Ino ignored her.  
"C'mon…" Anko though for a second, try to recall the girl's name, "Ina… Noo that's not it… Ino!"

Ino continued to jump from branch to branch refusing to listen to the words from the teacher behind her.

"I mean I get you're pissed. But seriously, do you think I was gonna go out on this mission and let you get hurt, do you REALLY think that was on my mind when I said it was ok for you to join me on this mission?"

Although her words were sincere, Ino wouldn't have any of it, she moved right along in hopes of finding the missing nin, bagging him and taking him to a nice comfy prison cell back at Konoha.

"KID!" Anko shouted from behind her in a serious tone. This pissed Ino off, who was she to start yelling at her after dragging her out her in the first place.  
She turned her head around

"WHAT!? WHAT DO YOU-" but her eyes widened as she realized why Anko sensei had yelled at her in such a sharp tone.

Flying toward her was a paper bomb strapped to a kunai.

Ino opened her mouth to scream but she didn't have the time as the bomb began to glow brightly brightly and blow up.

**Alright this chapter's done guys, expect to see some more action next time alright! **


	3. Chapter 3

Coughing, dust, a white light, everything was happening so fast that Ino's mind to wasn't able to comprehend it all at once. She looked around in search for the direction of the attack, but all there was to see was the dust settling in. Some of it got in her eye so she brought her arm up in order to rub it out, while the other arm was just barely supporting her. She felt a sharp stinging pain and realized that their were several scratches along her right arm cause by the wood of the trees shooting out and severely cutting her, leaving several nasty looking gashes. She stared at her wound and her eyes became wide with shock. The blood, it was gushing freely out of her arm like a water fountain and it hurt like hell just too look at.

Ino tried to cry out for help but only a hoarse whisper could escape her throat, followed by a cough of blood. As she coughed, her ribs suddenly felt heavy and she collapsed to the floor.

From her position she saw a shadow of a man approaching her. As the dust cleared up she saw a clear view of this man. He was a tall, and well-built with short messy hair both on his head and as a stubble along his jaws. He smiled broadly, but for some reason his smile wasn't that of a rouge ninja or a subordinate of the late Orochimaru, it was an honest from the heart smile. Ino shivered as he approached and attempted to crawl away, but the pain in her body wouldn't let her, so instead she forcefully brought up her shaking arm to her chest, releasing chakara into her system in hopes of healing herself before he could harm her.

Sadly by the time she could move, the man was towering above her, she pulled out a kunai and swung it wildly. The man dodged with a simple step back.

"Woah there watch it, you could have hurt someone like that," his voice was kinder than his smile.

"W-what do you want?" Ino stammered trying her best to sound tough, but she was shaking and she knew it.

"Well since you're offering so kindly, how about you call out your buddy that was traveling with you," he asked her as though it was a favor.

"I don't… k-k-know who you mean," Ino shook her head.

"Kid I don't wanna hurt you, I really don't wanna hurt anyone," the man said sympathetically, but Ino being as defiant as she normally was looked him in the eye and spit at him.  
Wiping off the spit, the man's kind demeanor broke, he roughly pick up Ino by the neck, disarming her and placed the tip of the kunai against her throat, not hard enough to draw blood, but it would have been possible with slightly more force.

"Well it looks like things always have to be resorted with violence when it comes to you ninja folk," his kind face was gone, but his voice was still cool and collected, the voice of strategist… or a lunatic. "Go ahead and call your friend, she's the one I want, not you."

"I came alone," Ino sneered.

This set the guy off, he brought back the kunai and launched it forth, aiming for the throat. Ino couldn't do anything in this situation; she merely acted out of instinct when she cried out, "ANKO SENSEI!"

The man smirked, the knife was mere inches from her throat, but he never planned to kill her. He knew convincing her she would die was enough to have her cry out for help, a trait from someone who usually has to get bailed out of trouble. Now all there was to do was wait for help to arrive.

Ino felt ashamed, how could she have called out like that. What a coward she had been, _"I should've kept quiet and let him stab that thing right through me," _She thought. She saw the man arc his arm back again, this time he looked ready to finish the job. A mad look in his eye came across him as he thrust the knife forward.

Only to stop halfway once again. Only this time he hadn't stopped himself, the fangs of a giant snake dug into his shoulder, drawing blood from where the snake's fangs were biting down on. Anko stood behind him, tugging at the snake like a lasso, "Will you look at that, I made it/ I thought you were long gone kid, why'd you wait so long to call me out huh?" she scolded Ino.

"I didn't want you to come here and get hurt," Ino muttered weakly, losing consciousness as the man continued with his tight grip around her throat.

"No excuses, I told you that I wouldn't let you get hurt and I'm not gonna stretch that promise any more than it's already been stretched. Heal up, I'll take him!" Anko commanded confidently.

"Anko Matarshi what a surprise, I wouldn't have thought the Hidden Leaf would have sent you after me," the man spoke pleasantly as though he was having a casual conversation, "Do you remember me?"

"Well you're kinda cute," Anko replied honestly, "but I don't really recall your face, what's your name?"

"Good question, what is my name?" the man asked, "in all my time imprisoned as one of Orochimaru's lackeys, I've never actually been given a name, I've been called various things like: kid, fool, slave, subject, but I've never really been given a proper name, perhaps I'll make one up."

"Quit playing games!" Anko shouted, tugging at the snakes which tore at his flesh and forced him to release his grip on Ino, who fell gracelessly to the ground, gasping for breath.

As the snake reeled him in closer, Anko extended her arm and allowed the man's neck to be thrown into it thanks to her snakes. He flipped several times and she forced him to the ground in a cloud of smoke. "Learned that one from watching Lady Tsunade," Anko scoffed, her hand on her hip.  
She frowned when she heard the same voice behind her, "How about Shizen? That's a nice name wouldn't you say?"  
Anko spun on one leg and used the other leg to get a kick aimed for Shizen's mug, but he blocked it with one arm and used the other to hit her with and open palm strike to the chest, sending her sliding back a few feet. When she stopped sliding she looked down, at where he had struck her, "You jerk you just did that to get a feel didn't you!?"

She charged at him, and jumped going for and overhead punch, but he was quick to dodge. Anko however, had anticipated this move, the second she landed behind him she stuck out her leg for a kick in his blind spot, sending him staggering back. This left Shizen open to a volley of punches, Anko attacked quick and strong, she was throwing 5 punches every second.

Shizen initially took all the punches, but soon he had recovered enough to begin blocking, he tried to dodge but Anko was too fast and had simply take the opportunity to lob him right below the temple. This threw him off guard once more, and open him to further attack. Eventfully Anko began to wear down. He of course to this opportunity to wind up. It all started when Anko missed her first punch, he gave a punch in the gut, strong enough to make her double over, of course Anko was smart enough to turn a bad situation to her advantage, and she gripped his arm tightly and used her free hand to deliver an uppercut to his jaw. She then lept above him and brought down both of her arms against his skull and knocked him to floor once more.

Anko limped back clutching her stomach, "_This fight's taking more out of me than I'd hoped,_" She thought to herself, "_Hopefully this bastard's down for the count_."

"Hey!" Anko called out, "you down yet, can we take you back to Konoha with your tail between your legs?!" She laughed.

"Not just yet Matarishi," Shizen answered, revealing himself after the smoke cleared.

Anko gasped, the guy had taken a brutal beatdown, and looking at him now, there was barely a scratch on him. Anko on the other hand, was bruised, dirty and, had some dried blood running down from her forhead to her cheek.

"Wha-How!?" She asked.

"Well it seems I could have warned you earlier, not that the fight would have been any more fair of course, but maybe you would've thought of a better strategy," Shizen mocked.

"Warned me about what," Anko demanded.

"Eh it doesn't matter, this fights gonna be over soon anyway, and the second I finish you off, I'll take your friend over somewhere nice and quiet before I murder her," he motioned toward Ino, who was on her two feet now.

"Anko sensei, I think I can fight, what do say us two take him on together!?" She yelled positively.

Anko grinned confidently, "stay on the sidelines kid, I'll take him down on my own," she pointed to herself, "and it'll only take one move!"

"One move? Are you sure about this Anko sensei, you might be pushing yourself, I've healed up and these cuts can be bandaged once we get back to the village, let me back you up!" Ino proclaimed worriedly. She didn't want Anko overdoing herself.

"No! Because after I finish this guy I'm going to need you to heal me up ya'know. Just sit back you're about to witness something really cool. Same goes for freak." She pointed at Shizen, "you're about to witness the most awesome defeat you'll ever see, you'll probably be thanking me afterwords," Anko bragged.

"Heh, talk is cheap," replied Shizen.

"Actions do speak louder than words."

Anko threw up her trench coat, and weaved a sign, "Ninja Art: Body replication Jutsu." A clone of Anko materialized, from her DNA in the coat, Anko whispered something into her ear and the clone nodded, running off to the side.  
Anko was left alone in her metal mesh body suit, she counted in her head "_One… two… THREE_"  
She charged at Shizen, who gave her an amused look. Using her momentum she jump up and stuck her leg out to kick, although she was easily blocked with one hand by Shizen. She smiled, which prompted him to turn around.  
The clone was charging in as well, following Anko's lead she attempting to kick Shizen, who was actually surprised to see such a simple trick work so effectively.

"Nice," he said, then brought up the other hand and blocked clone Anko's kick as well, "But all that was, was a dirty trick."

Anko exchanged a glance with the clone, who nodded again "NOW!"  
"Fire Style: Twin Dragon's Breath"  
They both held up two fingers underneath their lips, inhaled deeply, then mixed the stored air with chakara, heating it up and blowing it out as fire, Shizen of course who was still holding on tightly to both of them could do nothing as he was quickly engulfed in the flames….


End file.
